‘Sequel’ to the Ink Machine, Bendy and the Dark Revival will stray from the original’s episodic release in favor of a fully playable title at launch.
Bendy and the Ink Machine, which saw release in 2017, was an episodic title that took 20 months to complete. It’s a horror game with an art style that closely mimics the aesthetics seen in Steamboat Mickey Mouse.
A Brief Look into the Ink Machine
In Ink Machine, players take on the role of Henry Stein, who started a strange journey into the crazy world of cartoons. The story takes place in the corrupted version of Joey Drew Studios, the protagonist’s former working space. A place that has gone twisted and is replete with sinister creatures that give the protagonist chase.
Bendy and the Dark Revival, a follow-up to Ink Machine, was announced last year around February. However, it took until December for a trailer to coincide with the announcement.
Updates to the game have been slow and infrequent, showing bits of images and a few small trailers. Even moving from its original slated release date in Fall 2019, until eventually confirming a release for 2020.
A Scarier Experience
A franchise creepy in its own right, Dark Revival is going a notch higher when it comes to its scare factor. That is coming from theMeatly, the developers themselves, who are hands full in making a complete release of the game. Essentially, the cause of the delay.
Yes, #BATDR will be much scarier than #BATIM. 🙂
— theMeatly (@themeatly) June 1, 2020
Dark Revival might be expected to pick up where Ink Machine might have left off. But co-creator, Mike Mood, claims that it will neither be a sequel nor is it a prequel.
Drawing from that statement, it’s likely that Dark Revival is meant to be story detached from Ink Machine. Possibly, with a few returning characters, especially Bendy, given the namesake of the franchise it started.
The Other Merch
Speaking of prequel, the franchise spawned a novel aimed at giving fans a look into the events prior to the first game. Titled Dreams Come to Life, the novel depicts Joey Drew Studios and the goings-on that led to its eventual corruption.
Another book is also released for the franchise with Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook. However, unlike the other book, which essentially adds to the overall lore of the franchise, it mostly dabbles in Ink Machine’s events.
In addition to the game and the books, there are also other merchandise based on the franchise. Namely, collectibles and T-shirts designed, especially for the diehard fans.
Image used courtesy of Joey Drew Studios/YouTube Screenshot